2 02 1 F O R D F-1 5 0 R A P T O R ~ BY M I K E S U T T O N
the numbers
A Dinosaur Evolves Suspension upgrades keep the Ford F-150 Raptor relevant in a Ram 1500 TRX world�
It’s not lost on Ford that the 702-hp
Ram 1500 TRX stole some of the F-150 Raptor’s swagger. The V-8powered Raptor R that’s coming soon may reset the order of things, but until then Ford is rolling out a 450-hp Raptor built on the updated F-150 that debuted last year. Think of it as the first strike in a counterattack. Bombing across a desert requires more than just horsepower. You need a suspension that can absorb punishment, and the new Raptor ditches rear leaf springs for progressive coils. In addition to saving a claimed 40 pounds of unsprung mass, the coil setup improves the
72
THE RUNDOWN
ride and the wheel control. To attach the live axle to the truck, the Raptor gets four links and a Panhard rod. Up front, the control-arm suspension benefits from new geometry and fortified uprights, lower ball joints, and wheel bearings. Front and rear anti-roll bars are softened, and Ford fits Fox’s latest Live Valve adaptive dampers, which have internal-bypass chambers and a 3.1-inch-diameter body. Suspension travel is increased to 14.0 inches in front and 15.0 inches at the rear— roughly an inch more at both ends than the outgoing model. Those wheel-travel specs are measured on the standard 35-inch
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup Base �������������������������������������� $65,840 Engine: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement ��������������� 213 in3, 3496 cm3 Power �������������������������� 450 hp @ 5850 rpm Torque ���������������������� 510 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm Transmission: 10-speed automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase �������������������������������������� 145�4 in • L/W/H ��������������� 232�6/86�6/79�8–80�7 in • Curb Weight ���������������������������������� 6200 lb Performance (C/D est) • 60 mph �������������������������������������������� 5�3 sec • 1/4-Mile ������������������������������������������ 14�0 sec • Top Speed ������������������������������������� 105 mph EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy ��� 15–16/14–15/16–18 mpg
BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. On offer is a massive 37-inch KO2, which Ford says is the tallest rubber ever fitted to a half-ton production pickup. But what the big-tire Raptor loses in wheel travel (about an inch), it gains in ground clearance (13.1 inches versus 12.0) and
PHOTOG RAPHY BY JAMES LIPMAN ~ NOV EMBER 2021 ~ CAR AND DRIVE R